Model of population evolution with and without eugenics

We propose, and solve via Monte-Carlo simulation, a model describing evolution of population subject to harmful mutations. The habitat changes periodically. The evolution of two, initially identical, populations is compared. One without any external ingerence and the second in which we eliminate all individuals which are ill-fitted to the changed environment (eugenics). We show that although in the short run the individuals in the latter are better adapted and live longer, after some more changes of the environment, the populations with eugenics become extinct, while the others live on. Copyright Società Italiana di Fisica, Springer-Verlag 1999